Fine-tuning probes for fluorescence polarization binding assays of bivalent ligands against polo-like kinase 1 using full-length protein.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is an important cell cycle regulator that is a recognized target for development of anti-cancer therapeutics. Plk1 is composed of a catalytic kinase domain (KD), a flexible interdomain linker and a polo-box domain (PBD). Intramolecular protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the PBD and KD result in "auto-inhibition" that is an essential component of proper Plk1 function.

A Rapid Host Response Blood Test for Bacterial/Viral Infection Discrimination Using a Portable Molecular Diagnostic Platform.

Background: Difficulty discriminating bacterial versus viral etiologies of infection drives unwarranted antibacterial prescriptions and, therefore, antibacterial resistance.

Methods: Utilizing a rapid portable test that measures peripheral blood host gene expression to discriminate bacterial and viral etiologies of infection (the HR-B/V assay on Biomeme's polymerase chain reaction-based Franklin platform), we tested 3 cohorts of subjects with suspected infection: the HR-B/V training cohort, the HR-B/V technical correlation cohort, and a coronavirus disease 2019 cohort.

Results: The Biomeme HR-B/V test showed very good performance at discriminating bacterial and viral infections, with a bacterial model accuracy of 84.

Perspective on the Potential Vertical Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Through Breast Milk.

Aim: SARS-CoV-2 is highly transmissible, having infected ~16 million children in the United States. Symptom severity is higher in infants compared to older children, possibly due to their ineligibility for vaccination. Concerns persist that mothers transmit infectious viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 through breast milk.